Lavandula plant named ‘Green Summer’

ABSTRACT

A  Lavandula  cultivar particularly distinguished by a compact and rounded plant habit, a globular plant shape with low to moderate vigor, violet-blue flowers with a continuous and rich flowering habit, and a flowering habit that when the first flowers are trimmed, the plant will flower again, is disclosed.

Genus and species: Lavandula stoechas.

Variety denomination: ‘Green Summer’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofLavandula, botanically known as Lavandula stoechas, and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Green Summer’. The new cultivaroriginated from an open pollination of the female Lavandula stoechasparent ‘Avenue’ (unpatented) among un-named Lavandula stoechas plants(unpatented) in Odense, Denmark in summer 2006.

The new cultivar was created in summer 2006 in Odense, Denmark, and hasbeen asexually reproduced repeatedly by softwood cuttings in Odense,Denmark for at least two generations The present invention has beenfound to retain its distinctive characteristics through successiveasexual propagations.

‘Green Summer’ has not been made publicly available or sold more thanone year prior to filing of this application.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of the new cultivar when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Mijdrecht, The Netherlands.

-   -   1. A compact and rounded plant habit;    -   2. A globular plant shape with low to moderate vigor;    -   3. Violet-blue flowers with a continuous and rich flowering        habit; and    -   4. A flowering habit that when the first flowers are trimmed,        the plant will flower again.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

This new Lavandula plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographswhich show overall plant habit including inflorescences, buds, andfoliage of the plant. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonablyobtained by conventional photographic procedures. The photos are of a2-year-old plant grown in a 2.0 liter container in Odense, Denmark inMay 2009.

FIG. 1 shows the overall plant habit including inflorescences andfoliage.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of the inflorescences.

FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of the mature leaves.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘Green Summer’. The data which define thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inMijdrecht, The Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 2-year-oldplants grown in 2.0 liter containers outdoors in April 2009. The rangeof daytime temperature was 12° C. to 27° C. and the range of night-timetemperature was from 5° C. to 15° C. No growth retardants were used. Thecolor readings were determined under natural light. Color references areto The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London(R.H.S.) (2007).

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Lamiaceae.        -   Botanical name.—Lavandula stoechas.        -   Common name.—French lavender, topped lavender.        -   Denomination.—‘Green Summer’.-   Plant:    -   -   Form and habit.—Perennial subshrub.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Broadly upright and            free-branching.        -   Plant shape.—Globular.        -   Height (from top of soil, including inflorescences).—28.9            cm.        -   Width (spread).—41.4 cm.        -   Vigor.—Low to moderate.        -   Growth rate.—Approximately 4.0 cm per month in the spring.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner in summer.—About            85 days at 16° C. to 18° C.        -   Time to produce a finished flowering plant.—About 32 weeks            from a rooted cutting.        -   Outdoor plant performance.—Use in 12.0 cm pots or larger or            in flower beds.        -   Fragrance.—All parts of the plant are strongly aromatic with            a fragrance typical of Lavandula stoechas.        -   High temperature tolerance.—At least up to 40° C.        -   Low temperature tolerance.—Hardy to at least USDA Zone 7.        -   Roots.—Moderately dense and dark brown; young roots are            white and fading to yellow-brown; main roots are thick while            other roots are fine; about 15 to 18 days to initiate roots            in the summer at 17° C.-   Stems:    -   -   Branching.—Basal; free-branching.        -   Total number of lateral branches.—146.        -   Length (excluding inflorescence).—10.5 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Internode length.—1.2 cm.        -   Appearance/shape.—Quadrangular and dull.        -   Strength.—Strong.        -   Color.—RHS 144B and RHS 144C (Yellow-green); older bark is            RHS N199B (Greyed-brown).        -   Texture.—Tomentose; moderately dense covered with wooly            hairs. Length of hairs: 0.02 cm. Color of hairs: RHS 145D            (Yellow-green).-   Leaves:    -   -   Arrangement.—Single and opposite.        -   Quantity per lateral branch.—16 (8 pairs).        -   Shape.—Linear, carinate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Cuneate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture and appearance (both surfaces).—Moderately wooly            tomentose and dull; length of pubescence is 0.02 cm and            pubescence color is RHS 191D (Greyed-green).        -   Size.—Length: 3.2 cm. Width: 0.4 cm.        -   Immature leaf.—Color: Upper surface: RHS 137D (Green). Lower            surface: RHS 138B and RHS 138C (Green).        -   Mature leaf.—Color: Upper surface: RHS 137B (Green). Lower            surface: RHS 191A (Greyed-green).        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Vein color.—Upper surface: RHS 194B (Greyed-green). Lower            surface: RHS 191B (Greyed-green).        -   Petioles.—Absent, leaves are sessile.        -   Durability of foliage to stresses.—High.-   Inflorescence buds:    -   -   Shape.—Narrow-oblong.        -   Length.—0.7 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Rate of opening.—Approximately 3 days.        -   Color.—RHS 148A (Yellow-green); the base is lighter, RHS            144C and RHS 144D (Yellow-green); the tip is RHS 184B and            RHS 184C (Greyed-purple).        -   Quantity per lateral stem.—108.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type and form.—Spike and single.        -   Arrangement.—Terminal spike.        -   Inflorescence size.—Height: 5.3 cm (excluding peduncle).            Width: 1.5 cm but the sterile bracts on top of the spikes            have an average spread of 2.4 cm.        -   Quantity of flowers per inflorescence.—108.        -   Quantity of open inflorescences and buds per plant.—15,000.        -   Blooming habit.—Blooms once per year, continuously, during            the spring to later summer.        -   Rate of inflorescence opening.—Approximately 30% of the            flowers are open at any given time.-   Flower:    -   -   Aspect.—Outward.        -   Type and appearance.—Self-cleaning; individual flowers are            sessile (no pedicels).        -   Shape.—Salverform, with one upper petal (split into two            identical lobes) and one lower petal (split into three            lobes, identical to upper lip).        -   Size.—Depth (height): 1.1 cm. Diameter: 0.4 cm.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About 10 days.        -   Quantity of flowers per lateral stem.—108.-   Petals:    -   -   Arrangement.—Rotate.        -   Quantity.—2.        -   Shape.—Spathulate with the lower 70% of each petal fused            into a tube.        -   Apex.—Rounded.        -   Base.—Fused.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture (both surfaces).—Dull and smooth.        -   Size.—Length: 1.1 cm. Width: Upper lip petals are 0.3 cm and            lower lip petals are 0.4 cm.        -   Color when opening and fully opened (both surfaces).—Between            RHS N92A (Violet-blue) and RHS N92C (Violet-blue) but            slightly darker; the tube is RHS N155A (White).        -   Color, fading to.—RHS N92A (Violet-blue) but slightly            darker.        -   Peduncle.—Length: 7.1 cm. Diameter: 0.2 cm. Angle: 0            degrees; peduncle is straight and upright. Strength: Strong.            Color: RHS 144B and RHS 144C (Yellow-green) but moderately            covered with a woolly pubescence which is RHS 145D            (Yellow-green).-   Calyx:    -   -   Shape.—Campanulate tube.        -   Length.—0.6 cm.        -   Diameter: 0.15 cm.        -   Sepals.—Quantity: 5. Arrangement and shape: Linear and fused            into a campanulate tube. Appearance and texture: Dull,            densely woolly tomentose; pubescence is less than 0.02 cm            long and is RHS 192D (Greyed-green). Apex: Acute. Base:            Fused. Margin: Entire. Size: Length: 0.6 cm. Width: 0.1 cm.            Color, immature: Upper surface: RHS 148C (Yellow-green) and            the base is lighter, RHS 144D (Yellow-green). Lower surface:            RHS 148A (Yellow-green) and the base is lighter, between RHS            144C and RHS 144D (Yellow-green). Color, mature: Upper            surface: RHS 148C (Yellow-green) with RHS 148A stripes; the            base is lighter, RHS 145C and RHS 145D (Yellow-green). Lower            surface: RHS 148A (Yellow-green) and the base is lighter,            RHS 145C and RHS 145D (Yellow-green); one side is shaded RHS            182B (Greyed-red).-   Bracts:    -   -   Fertile.—Location: At the base of each individual flower.            Shape: Broad rhomboidal. Quantity per inflorescence: 1.            Margin: Entire. Apex: Broadly acute and 3-lobed. Base:            Cuneate. Texture (both surfaces): Dull, moderately woolly,            tomentose; pubescence is about 0.02 cm long and RHS 157D            (Green-white). Length: 0.9 cm. Width: 0.8 cm. Color, upper            surface: RHS 148D (Yellow-green) with darker RHS 148A veins.            Color, lower surface: RHS 71A (Red-purple) with RHS N186A            (Greyed-purple) veins.        -   Sterile.—Location: On top of each spike. Quantity per            inflorescence: 4. Shape: Narrow obovate. Margin: Wavy. Apex:            Broadly acute. Base: Cuneate. Texture (both surfaces): Dull            and smooth. Length: 2.8 cm. Width: 0.9 cm. Color (both            surfaces): RHS 83C (Violet) but with a slightly lighter RHS            N92A (Violet-blue) main vein.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—Number: 4. Filament length: 0.05 cm. Filament            color: RHS N92C (Violet-blue). Anther shape: Dorsifixed,            kidney-shaped; filament implanted in the petal. Anther            length: 0.05 cm. Anther color: RHS 165B (Greyed-orange).            Pollen color: Close to RHS 164A and RHS 164B            (Greyed-orange). Pollen amount: Sparse.        -   Pistil.—Quantity: 1. Pistil length: 0.4 cm. Stigma color:            RHS N186A (Greyed-purple). Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Style            color: RHS 155C (White). Style length: 0.35 cm. Ovary color:            RHS 145D (Yellow-green).-   Fruit and seed set: No seed set observed.-   Disease and insect resistance: Average/typical of the species; no    special observations made.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL AND COMMERCIAL CULTIVARS

‘Green Summer’ differs from the female parent ‘Avenue’ (unpatented) inthat ‘Green Summer’ has a more rounded plant habit and is shorter inheight than ‘Avenue’. Additionally, ‘Green Summer’ has shorter pedunclesand shorter bracts than ‘Avenue’.

‘Green Summer’ differs from the commercial comparison variety ‘Dream’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,941) in that ‘Green Summer’ has a wider plantdiameter (41.4 cm) than ‘Dream’ (30.48 cm). Additionally, ‘Green Summer’has larger leaves (3.2 cm long and 0.4 cm wide) than ‘Dream’ (2.7 cm to3.0 cm long and 0.3 cm wide).

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lavandula plant as shown and describedherein.